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I can't imagine what it was like in Iraq a few years ago. Even though I was against the current Iraq war, I am glad that things are much better now and appear to be winding down to a certain extent. I am proud of my son's service to his country. He is an Obama supporter by the way mainly based on future deployment possibilities from what I can surmise.
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Well, on tuesday, the 21st, i got on a blackhawk at the last minute (literally, 1 hour's notice) and flew southeast to FOB Warrior in Kirkuk. We were supposed to pick up some MRAP's and drive them back to our base. Welllllll, the weather decided that it would be great to change and destroy any chance of anyone flying for about 5 days. We had only packed for about 1 or 2. Apparently, they dont like flying 4 blackhawks together at once, so we went in two teams, i was in the first, and ended up having to wait that long, just for the other team to SHOW UP! So we're essentially camping in these trucks, avoiding dust storms, thunderstorms, electrical storms, etc. Finally get everyone together, and get on our merry way.
The drive from Kirkuk to Qayyarah wasnt too bad, really pretty in the mountains, but the drive from Qayyarah to Mosul was... interesting. We traveled up THE MAIN highway in Iraq. MSR Tampa. aka Highway 1. The part we were on, had 2 lanes northbound, and 2 southbound, with a median in the middle. (all dirt..) As we were travelling up this road, night fell pretty quickly, and we were driving with our headlights on (though our gunners wore night vision) and in the southbound lane, there was a 100 civilian truck convoy going from one base to another. Well, some Iraqis, er, MOST Iraqis drive 10 times worse than any American, and a few of these brave souls decided it would be faster to get in the ONCOMING lane instead of wait for that convoy..
Lest a 45,000lb 6 wheeled beast of a truck comes barreling along, laid on the horn, at 50mph with spotlights in your eye. Haha, they got over pretty quick. We had a few of those, which made me a bit nervous, but not too bad... since I knew I'd win. :-]
It was dark as night as we hit Mosul, spent the night in some mechanic shop, got up the next day to leave, and got the grand tour of one of the worst cities in the world right now: Mosul, Iraq.
Almost EVERY building had bullet wounds, or giant holes from bombs, or half of the entire building collapsed from coalition bombings. It was the single handedly worst city i've ever seen in my entire life, its what I could honestly call a living hell, full of violence, chaos, disease, filth, trash, and a million residents.
If I never have to venture into that city again, I'd be fine with it, but even more so now, I'm cool with going just about anywhere in our new trucks. The ride from Mosul to Tal Afar was completely uneventful, and pretty much just a nice country drive. Got back to my room to discover that the awful weather that had kept us in Kirkuk for 5 days, also sent a nice surge thru my internet cable, into my laptop, and friend my network card. So gotta wait for a new external one, then i can post lots of pics i took of Iraq.
But for now, that's my story, and i've attached some pics. That scalloped looking metal is what happens when RPG's (rocket propelled grenade) hit an MRAP and explode. We got them from an infantry unit who got attacked a few times. Trucks just kept on goin!
=============================================
Well, on tuesday, the 21st, i got on a blackhawk at the last minute (literally, 1 hour's notice) and flew southeast to FOB Warrior in Kirkuk. We were supposed to pick up some MRAP's and drive them back to our base. Welllllll, the weather decided that it would be great to change and destroy any chance of anyone flying for about 5 days. We had only packed for about 1 or 2. Apparently, they dont like flying 4 blackhawks together at once, so we went in two teams, i was in the first, and ended up having to wait that long, just for the other team to SHOW UP! So we're essentially camping in these trucks, avoiding dust storms, thunderstorms, electrical storms, etc. Finally get everyone together, and get on our merry way.
The drive from Kirkuk to Qayyarah wasnt too bad, really pretty in the mountains, but the drive from Qayyarah to Mosul was... interesting. We traveled up THE MAIN highway in Iraq. MSR Tampa. aka Highway 1. The part we were on, had 2 lanes northbound, and 2 southbound, with a median in the middle. (all dirt..) As we were travelling up this road, night fell pretty quickly, and we were driving with our headlights on (though our gunners wore night vision) and in the southbound lane, there was a 100 civilian truck convoy going from one base to another. Well, some Iraqis, er, MOST Iraqis drive 10 times worse than any American, and a few of these brave souls decided it would be faster to get in the ONCOMING lane instead of wait for that convoy..
Lest a 45,000lb 6 wheeled beast of a truck comes barreling along, laid on the horn, at 50mph with spotlights in your eye. Haha, they got over pretty quick. We had a few of those, which made me a bit nervous, but not too bad... since I knew I'd win. :-]
It was dark as night as we hit Mosul, spent the night in some mechanic shop, got up the next day to leave, and got the grand tour of one of the worst cities in the world right now: Mosul, Iraq.
Almost EVERY building had bullet wounds, or giant holes from bombs, or half of the entire building collapsed from coalition bombings. It was the single handedly worst city i've ever seen in my entire life, its what I could honestly call a living hell, full of violence, chaos, disease, filth, trash, and a million residents.
If I never have to venture into that city again, I'd be fine with it, but even more so now, I'm cool with going just about anywhere in our new trucks. The ride from Mosul to Tal Afar was completely uneventful, and pretty much just a nice country drive. Got back to my room to discover that the awful weather that had kept us in Kirkuk for 5 days, also sent a nice surge thru my internet cable, into my laptop, and friend my network card. So gotta wait for a new external one, then i can post lots of pics i took of Iraq.
But for now, that's my story, and i've attached some pics. That scalloped looking metal is what happens when RPG's (rocket propelled grenade) hit an MRAP and explode. We got them from an infantry unit who got attacked a few times. Trucks just kept on goin!
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